MERCEDES SOSA EN ARGENTINE(ARGENTINA)

   
 Nada Sera Como Antes
     
The culture of the first peoples of the Americas has been vilified and viewed as the culture of savages for the better part of  of the last millennium. This has been the case in this millennium also, but thankfully, this view is only held by the staunchest of colonial-minded Europeans. Nevertheless, the music of  South America's indigenous peoples has not only survived, but has served as an inspiration and influence for some of the finest musicians in the region. Mercedes Sosa was one of the leading lights of Amerindian folk music. Born in Buenos Aires in 1935,  she became possibly the greatest and best known folk singer in South America. She has influenced musicians from  Venezuela to Chile, Brazil to Paraguay. She has worked with artistes such as Milton Nascimento and Victor Jara. Her professional career started when she was 15 when she won a radio contest. This resulted in her receiving a two-month contract with that radio station.  A tireless worker, she made music almost literally until the day she died, her last album being released in 2009 (the year she died).  What is most remarkable about Sosa is the fact that despite being a member of a community frequently discriminated against, her songs focus on love and the unification of Latin America (an impossible dream.) just as Simon Bolivar himself had intended.

        MERCEDES SOSA EN ARGENTINE is an album of phenomenal quality. It is released at a very strange time in Argentinian history. The country is governed by a brutal dictatorship and also is fighting a soon-to-be infamous war with the British. Shortly, Argentinian national pride is going to suffer a major blow when the controversial sinking of the Belgrano catalyses their defeat in that war. In the midst of all this, Sosa (The Voice of Latin America) delivers a flawless performance.The set is as intimate as a poetry recital among lovers in an amphitheatre.The album starts off with 'Sueno Con Serpientes' or 'Dream With Snakes'. Looking at the translation of the lyrics in English, it becomes apparent that Cuban singer Silvio Rodriguez(the writer of the song sung by Sosa) tries to paint a picture of obsession, obsession that started off as a nightmare, no doubt about the writer's most obvious fears. A Cuban children's song titled Drume Negrita is also included. The real highlight of this album is the classic ballad 'Volver a los 17'. The first place I heard this song was on Gerais, an album by Milton Nascimento.Written by Violetta Para of Chile, it celebrates the joy of youthful life, as the title suggests. Sosa effortlessly uses the natural lift that is a characteristic of Spanish, in order to emphasise the beauty of it's poetry. Soul music, not American Soul but music that comes from deep within the heart.